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Mobile internet users

Would you prefer to have a choice in which style you view when using mobile devices?

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Mojo

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Following the huge growth in mobile users browsing the forum in the past few months, we are looking at making a few changes to the mobile styles on the forum. In addition, for users of iPhone and a few select other mobile devices, Tapatalk will be provided for easier use of the forums.

At present, anyone connecting from certain mobile devices are automatically sent to our mobile style. I am trying to understand whether users of such devices would prefer to have a choice in the matter. By default the forum could be viewed using the low-bandwidth version of the default style, but users could have the option of going to http://m.railforums.co.uk to visit the mobile theme.

Please vote in the poll above and comment below.
 
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RailUK Forums

Aictos

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I've got a choice with my Blackberry as it can simulate a Firefox, Internet Explorer setup which means I see the site exactly as I do on my PC but it's not very responsive but if I use the Blackberry built in browser, I get that mobile version of the site which is easy to use.

Well done on looking to introduce this by the way, ;)
 
MCR247

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I think its a great idea for RailUk to get onto Tapatalk :)
 
richw

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i use tapatalk for other forums and its a great app on the iphone, definitely worth adding on in my opinion
 
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CarterUSM

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I've voted now. Yes!:) I could only find the demo version of tapatalk, would that be fine? Though i don't mind paying a few quid for the full version if i could find it.
 
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jon0844

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The demo version doesn't allow you to post, but it's pretty cheap and well supported (actually, the only bad thing is that there are perhaps too many minor updates as against more infrequent, major, updates).

It's worth pointing out that adding one single script to the forum header/footer allows it to work with the app, and doesn't change anything for those using an ordinary browser. You can still use the normal, or mobile, theme as you wish.
 
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CarterUSM

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jonmorris0844 said:
The demo version doesn't allow you to post, but it's pretty cheap and well supported (actually, the only bad thing is that there are perhaps too many minor updates as against more infrequent, major, updates).

It's worth pointing out that adding one single script to the forum header/footer allows it to work with the app, and doesn't change anything for those using an ordinary browser. You can still use the normal, or mobile, theme as you wish.
Click to expand...



I suppose i should get the full version then. If i can find it!
 
Mojo

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Just to clarify, Tapatalk is going to be installed regardless. I'm interested in knowing whether mobile users would prefer, by default to use the standard theme, and have to manually select the mobile theme, which can be bookmarked by going to a different URL.
 
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CarterUSM

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Mojo said:
Just to clarify, Tapatalk is going to be installed regardless. I'm interested in knowing whether mobile users would prefer, by default to use the standard theme, and have to manually select the mobile theme, which can be bookmarked by going to a different URL.
Click to expand...



Got you now. Does it really matter though if functionality is the same regardless of what theme you use?
 
Mojo

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Some mobile devices are not compatible with Tapatalk and also some may prefer not to pay so there will always be the demand for a Mobi theme.

At present, users of many mobile devices are forced to use the Mobi theme, but may prefer to have the ability to use other styles as their screens may be larger or they may have faster internet. Since the Mobi theme was first set up in the manner it presently is, mobile technology has improved and the number of people using it has also increased.
 
flymo

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I don't use the mobile site much but for me personally the standard theme works well so whatever happens I'd like to still have that option.
 
F

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I take it that the tapatalk plugin has not yet been activated?? It doesn't show up atm.
 
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gingerheid

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I would prefer to have the choice, I have an HD2 and it annoys me when Facebook redirects from a site that would have worked fine on the phone to a mobile site with less functionality.
 
Dai.

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I've already voted in this topic but I think it'd be nice to point out that I'd like to have a wider variety of themes for computers as well.


Not just different pictures, Although some of the users here have pictures thst would be nice to be able to use as a theme as they are really good, but if possible having different coloured tables?

Like the forum in pink/green/orange not just blue.

And would different pictures be available in the web version?

Sorry for being a pest ;D
 
transportphoto

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Can I also suggest that it is easier to revert back to the standard theme from the Mobi theme, I have recently changed my theme on my PC using the drop-down, clicking by mistake the Mobi theme, I spoke to a Mod through MSN and luckily they told me how to get out.

I know how the Mobi theme works, my only other option was to send a PM, but then you have to await a reply, taking upto 2-3 days.
 
krus_aragon

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I haven't voted in the poll yet: polls don't show up on the mobile edition of the site (at least not for me). :)

My main means of accessing this forum is through my phone using either Nokia's proprietary browser or Opera Mini. I would appreciate being able to hop between mobile and basic themes to get at polls and see pictures inline if I want to.

I'm quite happy to use an alternate mobile URL, but would absolute links (www.) posted to other topics on the board then drag my browser over to a (default) basic theme? A cookie-based preference under a single URL would be handy in this case (as opposed to profile based, giving my PC and phone the same theme) but I don't pretend to know the practicality of doing that with vBulletin.
 
Mojo

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krus_aragon said:
Would this functionality continue when hopping subdomains (m. to www.) if mobi wasn't the default for mobile browsers? If so, all's fine.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. If you go to any link in any theme it will open in the theme you are viewing it in.
 
WESSEX158

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Dai. said:
I've already voted in this topic but I think it'd be nice to point out that I'd like to have a wider variety of themes for computers as well.

Not just different pictures, Although some of the users here have pictures thst would be nice to be able to use as a theme as they are really good, but if possible having different coloured tables?

Like the forum in pink/green/orange not just blue.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see the forum in each operator's liveries. :D
 
466.networkers

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Anyone else noticed the long bit of (what I presume to be dodgy) code at the top of the page on the Mobi theme?

EDIT: Just gone onto the Mobi theme on my PC and it doesn't appear .... strange ... :|
 
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466.networkers

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It's not too bad on my BlackBerry - but it is a pain. I'll try and decipher it ...

Here is the code in full:

Function googleColor(value, random) Dim colorArray colorArray = Split(value, ",") googleColor = colorArray(random Mod (UBound(colorArray) + 1)) End Function Function googleScreenRes() Dim screenRes, delimiter, resArray screenRes = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_UA_PIXELS") delimiter = "x" If IsEmpty(screenRes) Then screenRes = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_UP_DEVCAP_SCREENPIXELS") delimiter = "," End If If IsEmpty(screenRes) Then screenRes = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_JPHONE_DISPLAY") delimiter = "*" End If resArray = Split(screenRes, delimiter, 2) If (UBound(resArray) + 1) = 2 Then googleScreenRes = "&u_w=" & resArray(0) & "&u_h=" & resArray(1) End If End Function Function googleMuid() Dim muid muid = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_DCMGUID") If Not IsEmpty(muid) Then googleMuid = "&muid=" & muid End If muid = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_UP_SUBNO") If Not IsEmpty(muid) Then googleMuid = "&muid=" & muid End If muid = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_JPHONE_UID") If Not IsEmpty(muid) Then googleMuid = "&muid=" & muid End If muid = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_X_EM_UID") If Not IsEmpty(muid) Then googleMuid = "&muid=" & muid End If End Function Function googleViaAndAccept(googleUserAgent) If Len(googleUserAgent) = 0 Then Dim via via = Server.URLEncode(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_VIA")) If Not IsEmpty(via) Then googleViaAndAccept = "&via=" & via End If Dim accept accept = Server.URLEncode(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_ACCEPT")) If Not IsEmpty(accept) Then googleViaAndAccept = googleViaAndAccept & "&accept=" & accept End If End If End Function Dim googleTime, googleDt, googleScheme googleTime = DateDiff("s", "01/01/1970 00:00:00", Now()) googleDt = (1000 * googleTime) + Round(1000 * (Timer - Int(Timer))) googleScheme = "http://" googleUserAgent = Server.URLEncode(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_USER_AGENT")) If StrComp(Request.ServerVariables("HTTPS"), "on") = 0 Then googleScheme = "https://" Dim googleAdUrl, googleAdOutput googleAdUrl = "http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?" &_ "ad_type=text" &_ "&channel=" &_ "&client=ca-mb-pub-0423981136367513" &_ "&dt=" & googleDt &_ "&format=mobile_single" &_ "&ip=" & Server.URLEncode(Request.ServerVariables("REMOTE_ADDR")) &_ "&markup=xhtml" &_ "&oe=utf8" &_ "&output=xhtml" &_ "&ref=" & Server.URLEncode(Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")) &_ "&url=" & Server.URLEncode(googleScheme & Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_HOST") & Request.ServerVariables("URL")) &_ "&useragent=" & googleUserAgent &_ googleScreenRes() &_ googleMuid() &_ googleViaAndAccept(googleUserAgent) Set googleAdOutput = Server.CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP") googleAdOutput.Open "GET", googleAdUrl, false googleAdOutput.Send Response.Write(googleAdOutput.responseText) %>
Click to expand...

@CarterUSM - is this the same code as you get?
 
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CarterUSM

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466.networkers said:
It's not too bad on my BlackBerry - but it is a pain. I'll try and decipher it ...

Here is the code in full:
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what i have. I tried various things to get rid of it, but no joy.:(
It only irritates me because i set the text to large with opera mini on my xperia. Takes an age to scroll down past it.
 
Mojo

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I'm just testing a few things and rather than take the whole style down and cause inconvenience I thought I'd leave it up. I've finished now anyway :smile:
 
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